Window-shade fixture.



PATBENTED MAR. 20, 1906. I J. M. MURDOOK. v

WINDOW SHADE FIXTURE.

AEILIOATION FILED 851 93.16, 1904.

Mfnwses;

' citizen of the United States, and a resident;

and State of Illinois, have inventeda certain;

full and complete specification sufficient to fixture whereby a window-shade or windowbe changed laterally (and by means of a sinby me, the spring-roller used is constructed 0 the roller around which the curtain may tatable within the spring-roller. Further, I

4o.length tofit the window before which the the central shaft -of the roller is to provide 7.; shell, and the rotatability of such central 5o central shaft is automatically stopped-that "/UNITED STATES] PATENT oFFIoE.

JOHN M. MURD'OCKOFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HERBERT K. TOWNSEND, or cHIcAeo, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-SHADE FIXTURE- No. 815,621. I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented. March 20, 1906. Application filed September 16, 1904:. Serial No. 224,715.

To all whom it may concern: shaft from rotation, such means constituting 5 5 Be it known that 1, JOHN M. MURDOGK, a what may be termed an emergency-lock intended to automatically operate when the person changing the lateral position of the curtain-roller wilfully or accidentally loses control thereof, as by letting go of the string provided to control the position of the curtain-roller and the parts attached thereto.

' In the drawin s referred to, Figure 1 is a front elevation o the upper section of'a'win dow provided with a curtain-fixture embody- 6 5 ing this invention attached thereto and a shade or curtain thereon. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view longitudinally of the springroller, showing the several movable parts of the device and with the shell or casing cover- 70. ing the toothed wheel at the ends of the fixture removed to expose such wheels to view. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the shell or casing covering the toothed wheel at the lefthand end of the device as the same is viewed 7 5 inFi s. 1 and3 of the drawings, together with the gers on such shell, whereby a hollow tube and one end of the spiral spring of the device are non-rotatably held. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the shell illustrated in Fig. 3 with the front plate thereof removed therefrom to expose to view the toothed wheel and emergency-catch therefor. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the track with which the toothed wheel shown in Figs. 2 and 4 enga e. Fig. 6 8 is an end view of the toothed trac shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5. Fig, 7 is an end elevation of the spring-roller, showing the ordinary pawls and recessed wheel of spring curtainrollers and showing the non-rotatable tubu- 9o lar shaft to which one end of the coiled spring of the device is attached. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the inner end of a non-rotatable tube and of a rotatable shaft in such tube on line 9 9 of Fig. 2 viewed in the direction indicated 5 by the arrows, showing a recessed hub secured to thetube, a hub secured to therotatable shaftto turn therewith, and pawls on such rotatable hub to engage with the recess on the non-rotatable hub. :00

A reference-letter applied to designatea given part is used to indicate such part throughout the several .iigures of the drawings wherever the same appears.

. Ais awindow-frame. B designates tracks I05,

which are secured to the wmdow-frameA adjacent .to-the opening wherein the .sash C is placed. Thetrack B preferably consists of a.

of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook;

new and useful Improvement in Window Shade Fixtures, of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawings ac comp'anying and forming a part hereof, is a enable those skilled in theart to which it per- .tains to understand, make, and use the same.

The object of this invention is to obtain a good-appearing and durable window-shade curtain may be automatically wound'on a spring-roller in the same manner as onthe or- .dinary spring shade-roller and by means of which the position of such spring-roller may gle cord or other flexible connection) by aperson not particularly skilled in the .use

thereof, as by a child in aschool-room.

In order to accomplish the purpose sought in the ordinary1 way sofar as relates to a pawl at one end t ereof and a spring one end whereof is non-rotatably secured in place 'and the other end whereof is connected to:

be wound. I further construct'the springroller embodying this invention so that ashaft may extend longitudinally there-' a through, suchshaft being extensible and ro- .OOIlShI'IlGDfhG roller so that the same is a thin shell, preferably 7 tin or other sheet metal, which may be readil adjusted at one end thereof, so that such s ell will beof the proper .shade is to be hung; The extensibility of means for the adjustment thereof to correspond with the determined length of the fshaft is to provide means for the lateral ,movement of the curtain-roller b means of a cord attached to one end thereof? I further provide means whereby the rotation of the is, such shaft is locked in a non-rotatable powsition, whereby lateral movement of the cur-f tain roller is prevented, and I further provide additional means of locking the .central serted into the part rectangular tube provided with holes I) b and aving one corner thereof cut away, as is well shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the cuts required to remove the corner being made substantially on lines b 6 D D are shells or casings engaging with the tracks B, as by the hooked fingers d d, and arranged to be moved up and down on such tracks. Each of the shells D D is provided with a cog-wheel E, the teeth 6' e of such co wheels respectively engaging with the holes I) in track B, heels E E are therefore rotated by the upward and downward movement of the shells or track B.

F is a square shaft connecting wheels E. comprises square rods f f, which are wheels E,

Shaft F respectively rigidly secured in the and a square tube f, into the ends whereof square rods f f are inserted whenthe several 1 parts of the devlce are assembled.

G is a non-rotatable hollow hub rigidly secured on the shell or casing D, and g g are fingers on hub G. Projection G is hollow, and the rod f, on which jacent thereto, is rigidly secured, (such rod f forming part of shaft F,) extends therethrough Fig. 2 of the drawings.

trate the manner in which hub G is attached thereto when not integral therewith.

H is a non-rotatable tube the end whereof adjacent to the hub G is provided with recesses h h, into which the fingers gg extend. The square shaft F extends through the hollow tube H and is rotatable in such tube. The hollow tube H consists of two partsthe 2nd parts h h and the central part or portion tube H is the same as the external diameter of parts h It, so that such parts h h respectively, inserted a part 72, and there secured,

respectively. The part h of the non-rotatable tube H is somewhat longer than the part f of thesquare shaft F, and the ends of the parts it h which are inserted in such part if (and adjacent to the ends of the part f of the square shaft F) are so near thereto that such part f is not permitted much longitudinal movement, although the same may rotate freely. The parts ff may therefore be ina variable distance to suit the exact width of the window and may be withdrawn from such part f and a ain inserted thereinto as often as desire The end of the part h of the tube H which is adj acent to the non-rotatable hub G isnon-rotatably held by the fingers g g in recesses or slots h h.

I is a hub or collar rigidly secured on the non-rotatable tube H, as by the pin h and J is the spiral spring of the curtain-roller, one

casing D D on the the wheel E, whichis ad-- and rotates therein, as is shown in In Fig. 2 a portion of the casing D 18 shown in cross-section to illus- The internal diameter of the part 7130f may be, short distance into which is rotatably as by the pinsh lfi,

end whereof is secured to the non-rotatable tube H by such hub or collar I and the other end whereof is secured to the hub or collar K which is rotatably mounted on the non-rotatable tube H.

L is the shell of the spring-roller of the apparatus.

M is a hub or collar rotatably mounted on the non-rotatable tube H adjacent to one end of the shell L, and M is a hub or collar rotatably mounted on the non-rotatable hollow hub m of the shell D at the other end of the shell L.

N is a hub or collar non-rotatably mounted on the non-rotatable tube H adjacent to the hub G. Hub N is provided with the re cess n therein, into which recess the dogs 0 0 enter and engage when adjacent thereto and not held therefrom by centrifugal force obtained by the rotation of the hub or colar M.

O O are the pivots on which the dogs 0 O are respectively mounted, such pivots being secured in the collar or hub M, as is illustrated in'Figs. 2 and 7 of the drawings. The endof the part h of the non-rotatable tube H which is adjacent to hub or collar M, together with the'non-rotatable hub N on such tube H, prevents lateral movement of the rotatable hub or collar The action of the dogs 0 0 relative to the non-rotatablehub N and slot or recess a therein is the usual action of corresponding parts .in the ordinary spring-roller curtainfixture.

A connection similar to the last-above-described connection, consisting of hub or collar M, non-rotatable hub N with recess n therein, and dogs 0, is made between the end of the non-rotatable tube H which is adjacent to the rotatable hub or collar K and the rotatable shaft F by means of the casing P, mounted on the tube H and non-rotatably mounted on the square shaft F, dogs Q pivotedly secured in the casing P, as by means of the pivots g g, and hub R, provided with slot 1', which is rigidly secured on non-rotatable tube H, except that such last-named connection is made oippositely to the'first-named one--that is, i" the connection consisting of the dogs 0, engaging in slots n, (see Fig. 7,) be considered a right-hand connection the connection. formed by the dogs Q, engaging in slot 1", would be called a left-hand connection.

The emergency-stop hereinbefore referred to preferably consists of the spring S and dog T, p'ivotedly mounted on pivot t' in shell D, and the pin t at one end of the dog T, such pin extending throughrecess T in shell D, so that the'spring or flexible connection U may be attached thereto, as is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The dog T is yieldingly held by the spring S, so that the end thereof IIO 'ency of the spring S, and

*end of the slot T,

is adjacent to the cogs e e of the wheel E willengage with such cogs when the wheel is moved to the left-that 1s, in a contrary direction to the movement of the hands of a in the direction in which the which is adjacent to the cogs e 6 W111 be forced to one side thereby against the resiliwhen the weight of the apparatus embodying this invention is wholly or partially suspended by the flexible connection Uthe end of the dog T in which the pin t is secured is brought to the upper and thereby the dog T is positioned so that the end thereof adjacent to the cogs e will not come in contact therewith when the to the right or extends from the roller V.

' to maintain the dogs j pended thereon cog-wheel E is turned either left. The flexible connection the dog T upward andover W is the cord attached to the curtain W.

When the curtain W is to be wound on or unwound from the springroller of the device, the operation is the same as in other well-known spring-roller curtain-fixtures the unwinding of the curtain or shade from the shell L of the spring-roller winding the spring J, such spring being maintained in a woun position'by one of the dogs 0 O engaging with recess 01 on the non-rotatable hub and such curtain being rewound on such shell by unwinding it'slightly to disengage the dog from the recess and the permitting the spring to so rapidly wind the curtain 'as out of engagement with the recess by centrifugal force.

When the curtain-fixture embodyingthis invention is to be operated to move the curtain-roller and the casings D D at the ends thereof up or down on the track B, the flexible connection U is, pulled downward until such movable parts of the apparatus are susand the lever T is in position not to engage with the cogs e e of the wheelE in the rotation of such wheel, and such moving of such able parts are then raised or lowered. In the raising or lowering the lever T is mounted the wheel E therein is turned by engagement of the cogs e ethereof in the holes I) b of track B, and by the turnwheel E the square shaft F is turned and the remaining wheel E (on the other end of such square shaft) is of course also turned in unison with the first-named wheel E.

When the movable parts of this curtainfixture are to be lowered, the one of the dogs Qwhich is in engagement with the slot 1' in hub R, (thereby holding the fixture from falling or dropping by locking the square shaft F to the non-rotatable tube H, and thereby preventing the rotation of such square shaft,) it will be found necessary to slightly raise such of the shell D in which- "The dog movable parts to disengage such dog, after which the movable parts are lowered so .rapidly as to maintain the dogsQ out of engagement with recess or slot 1' by centrifugal force, the operation being substantially the same as is the operation of the locking device between the curtain-roller shell L and the nonrotatable tube H, which is illustrated in Fig. 7 and hereinbefore described.

The weight of the shade-roller and shade produces much greater tension on the flexible connection U than does the spring S when lever T is retracted by means of such flexible connection and the casing and shade-roller (with the shade) are raised sufficiently to draw the. dog Q in slot 1' out therefrom, and in practice the rate of descent of the casing, shaderoller, and shade is not retarded by exerting suflicient pull on cord (flexible connection)U to prevent enga ement of the dog T with teeth e e of cog-w eel E.

When the-movable'parts of the device have been raised or lowered by means of the flexible connection U, as hereinbefore described, to a desired position, such movable parts are held stationary until one of the dogs Q Q has settled into and engaged with the recess or slot 4, thereby locking the s uare shaft F to hen the shaft F E are non-rotatacannot rotate, cog-wheels N ble, and the shells or casings D D with the curtain-roller cannot fall. I

When the movable parts of the fixture are raised, the one of the dogs Q Q which is in engagement with recess 1' in hub R is drawn therefrom out of engagement therewith.

The upward and downward movement of the movable parts of this apparatus on tracks B B necessarily produces rotation of the shaft F i and of the cog-wheels E E thereon, as the teeth of such cog-wheels engage in the hole b b of track I) b, and I am therefore enabled to raise and lower both ends of such movable part by fastening the flexible connection U to one of the shells D D, (at one end of the spring-roller of the apparatus,) and I do not require any connection to the remaining shell D, (at the other end of the spring-roller.) T, contained in the shell D, and to which dog the flexible connection is attached, is of course omitted from the shell D at the opposite end of the spring-roller.

If at any time in the raising or lowering of themovable parts of the curtain-fixture em-' bodying this invention the flexible connection U is released, either accidentally or wilfully,,before one of the dogs Q Q is in engagement with the recess 1", the spring S automatically forces the end of thedog T which is adjacent to the cogs e (4 into position to engage with such cog, and wheel E is thereby prevented from turnin and the movable parts are thereby locked om falling. This emergency feature is particularly of use where the apparatus is placed in a school-room and is operated by a child.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fixture provided with a curtainroller, a rotatable shaft extending through the roller, cog-wheels secured to the shaft to turn therewith, tracks with which the cogwheels engage to rotate as the shaft is moved longitudinally along the tracks, means to maintain the cog-wheels in engagement with the tracks and'means to prevent rotation of the shaft substantially as described.

2. In a curtain-fixture provided with a spring -roller, a rotatable shaft extending through the springroller, tracks, casings attached to the tracks to move longitudinally thereon, cog-wheels in the casings, such cogwheels secured to the shaft to turn therewith and placed in the casings to engage with the tracks and rotate as the shaft is moved longitudinally, means to automatically secure the shaft to prevent rotation thereof, and means to raise and lower the casing at one end of the rotatable shaft substantially as described.

3. In a curtain-fixture, tracks, casings movably, mounted on the respective tracks, cog-wheels in the casings; a non-rotatable tube secured to one of the casings, a rotatable shaft journaled in the casings and extending through the non -rotatable tube, the cogwheels secured to the shaft to turn therewith, means to connect the shaft and the non rotatable w e, to prevent rotation of the shaft, and means to raise and lower the casmg to which the non-rotatable tube is secured; substantially as described.

In a curtain-fixture provided with a spring-roller, tracks, casings mounted on the tracks to move longitudinally thereover, cogwheels in the casings, a tube non-rotatably attached to one of the casings, a rotatable shaft .journaled in the casings, such shaft extending through the tube and through the spring-roller, and such cog-wheels placed'in the casing and secured to the shaft to turn therewithand to engage with the tracks and rotate as the casings are moved on the tracks, a recess extending longitudinally of the tube on the end thereof, a collar mounted on the tube adjacent tothe recess, such collar attached to the shaft to turn therewith, dogs on the collar to engage with the recess on the tube, and means to raise and lower the casing to which the tube is non-rotatably attached substantially as described.

5. In a curtain-fixture provided with a spring roller, a rotatable shaft extending through the spring-roller, tracks, casings at tached to the tracks to move longitudinally thereon, cog-wheels in the casings, such cogwheels secured to the shaft to turn therewith and placed in the casings to engage with the tracks and rotate as the shaft is moved longi- I tudinally, a collar secured to the shaft to turn therewith, pawls on such collar, a tube nonrotatably secured to one of the casings, such tube provided with a recess, as by'means of a rigidly-secured recessed collar thereon, at the end thereof adjacent to the collar which is provided with pawls with which recess the pawls on the collar may engage, and means to raise and lower the casing to which the tube is attached ,substantially as described.

6. In a curtain-fixture the combination of tracks, casings tracks, a hub provided with fingers on one of the casings, a tube provided with a slot at one end thereof, in which slot the fingers on the hub extends,such tube provided with recesses thereon, as by means of a rigidly-secured recessed collar thereon, a rotatable shaft ournaled in the casings and extending through the casings and through the tube, cog-wheels in the casings such cog-wheels attached to the shaft to turn therewith and to engage with the tracks, a collar on the shaft secured to turn therewith, dogs on the collar arranged to engage with the recess in the rigidly-secured collar on the tube, a cylindrical shell, collars rotatably mounted on the tube adjacent to the ends thereof, such collars fitting in the cylindrical shell to turn therewith, dogs on one of such collars arranged to engage with the. recess in the rigidly-secured collar on the tube, a collar on the rotatable shaft attached to turn therewith, dogs on such collar arranged to engage with the recess in the rigidly-secured collar on the tube, aspiral spring, attached at one end thereof, to the tube as by means of the hub I and at the other end thereof attached to the shell and means to raise and lower one of the easings substantially as described.

In a curtain-fixture, the combination of tracks, casings movably attached to the tracks, a hub provided with fingers on one of the casings, a tube provided with a slot at one end thereof, in which slot the fingers on the hub extend, a collar rigidly secured to such tube such collar provided with a recess therein, a rotatable shaft journaled in the casin s and extending through the casings and through the tube, cog-wheels in the casings such cog-wheels attached to the shaft to turn therewith and to engage with the tracks, a collar on the shaft secured to turntherewith, dogs on the collar arranged to engage with the recess in the rigidly-secured collar on the tube, a cylindrical shell, collars rotatably mounted on the tube adjacent to the ends thereof, such collars fitting in the cylindrical shell to turn therewith, dogs on one of such collars arranged to engage with the recess in the rigidly-secured collar on the tube, a collar on the rotatable shaft attached to turn therewith, dogs on such collar arranged to engage with the remaining recess on the tube, a spiral spring, means to attach one end movably attached to ,the

thereof to the tube and means to attach the her end thereof to the shell, a pulley and a flexible connection, tached to one of the caslngs, such flexible connection extending upward to and over the pulley and down; substantially as described.

8. In a curtain-fixture provided with a spring roller, a rotatable shaft extending through the spring-roller, tracks, casings attached tothe thereon, cog-wheels in the casings, such cogwheels secured to the shaft to turn therewith and placed in the casings to engage with the spring in such casing arranged toyieldingly of the cog-wheel, a flexible connection attached to the dog in the casing'and a guide for the flexible connection, such flexible conone end whereof is at tracks, to move longitudinally tracks and rotate as the shaft is moved longi v tudinally, a dog in one of the casings, a

hold one end of the dog in the path of the teeth nection extending upward andover the guide substantially as described. a

9. In a curtain-fixture, tracks, casings movably mounted on the respective tracks, cog-wheels in the casings, a non-rotatable 25 three-part tube secured to one of the casin s, a rotatable three-part shaft journaled in tie casin s, and extending through the non-rotatab e tube, one of the parts of the shaft longitudinally =movable in the part adjacent 3o thereto, the cog-wheels secured to the shaft to turn therewith, means to connect the shaft and the non-rotatable tube, to prevent rotation of the shaft, and means to raise and lower the casing to which the non-rotatable tube is 3 5 secured substantially as described.

JOHN M. MURDOOK.

In presence of CHARLES TURNER BRow v,

001m A. ADAMS. 

